Compressed air circuit breaker with a plurality of series connected breaking gaps



July 17,1951

H. FORWALD COMPRESSED AIR CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITH A PLURALITY OF SERIES CONNECTED BREAKING GAPS Filed Jan. 17, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet i fifS/JT/MCE 22 JP/P/A/G I7 6 lifS/JZMCE 2'4 iii 28 I9 40 44 l2 ,37 I H Rig/574N66 46 47 5 JWAY 0Pf/M77/Y6 VALVE 2 afi/l/al/aw/va VALVE //1re=n/or //aa kon 70 /6/ Patented July 17, 951

COMPRESSED AIR CIRCUIT BREAKER WITH A PLURALITY OF BREAKING GAPS SERIES CONNECTED Haakon Forwald, Valhalla, Ludvika, Sweden, assignor to Allmanna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget, Vasteras, Sweden, a Swedish corporatlon Application January 17, 1948, Serial No. 2,917 In Sweden November 24, 1943 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires November 24, 1963 The present invention relates to a high voltage compressed air circuit breaker with a plurality of series connected breaking gaps, in which the breaking gaps are arranged in extinguishing chambers disposed along a central insulating cylinder column. According to this invention, each extinguishing chamber comprises a breaking gap and an air operating cylinder for the movable contact of the breaking gap. By the arrangement of the contact operating cylinder in the chamber, the chambers may easily be removed from the insulating column for inspection or repair and may be replaced by a spare chamber without disturbing the adjustment of the contacts in the spare chambers. The operating cylinders are fed with operating air from the interior of the column or from a pipeline in it. The operating air is in the first place controlled by a valve for each chamber which valves are actuated by an operating shaft, and in the second place a common control valve is provided for all chambers.

On the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 shows a form of the invention, in which the operation takes place by means of a compressed air pipe line traversing the column and provided with branches to the different breaking gaps. In the form shown in Fig. 2 the operation takes place by means of an insulating shaft in the column, which shaft acts on operating valves for the different breaking gaps.

On the accompanying drawing l designates the base plate of a circuit breaker, on which the compressed air container 2 is arranged and on this container rests a column 3 and an insulator 4 for a disconnecting switch arranged outside the circuit breaker. The different breaking gaps are arranged in extinguishing chambers 5, 6 and l which by means of metal pipes '8, 9 and ID are attached to the column 3 which consists of a lower insulator ll having thereon three further insulating cylinders I2, [3 and M, which are joined by means of metal joining members I5, I6 and I1. The movable contacts in the extinguishing chambers are designated by I8, and 22 and the stationary contacts by I9, 2| and 23. These contacts are arranged in air escape caps 24, 25 and 26, which are attached to the upper ends of the insulating cylinders 5, 6 and l. The movable contacts are operated by pistons 27, 2B and 29, which move in operating cylinders 30, 3| and 32, which by pipes 33, 34 and 35 are in communication with a central operating pipe line 36, which extends through the whole central insulating column from the control valve 31 in the 2 Claims. (01. 2o0 -148) base plate. The pipe line 36 is made of pipes of insulating material except on the points where the branching to the different operating cylinders takes place, where T-pieces of metal are inserted. The upper cylinder I4 is closed at its upper end by a cover 38 which is metallically joined with the cap 26 by means of a joining member 39 and the caps 24 and 25 are joined with the metallic members It and I1 by means of metallic joining pieces 4!] and 4 I.

The compressed air is delivered to the column 3 and the operating valve 3? through a valve 42 and traverses the column 3 and the metal pipes 8, 9 and II] to the cylinders 5, 6 and 'l. The control valve Bl is a three-way valve so designed that in one position the operating line 36 is put in communication with the external air, and in this case the pressure acting on the upper side of the pistons 2'1, '28 and 29 will move the pistons downwards so that the breaking gaps are opened. When closing the circuit breaker the valve 31 is changed, so that air from the compressed air container 2 again is delivered to the pipe line 36. Since the pressure on both sides of the pistons 2'1, 28 and 29 will be equal, they will be returned to the position, where the contacts are closed due to the action of the springs 43, 44 and 45. The disconnecting switch, which consists of the disconnecting switch arm 45 with its counter contact M, is operated by the operating insulating shaft 48.

The form shown in Fig. 2 differs from the above only in that the delivery of compressed air to the different operating cylinders takes place by means of valves 58, 59 and 63, which are operated by an insulating shaft 5|, driven by an operating mechanism 52. The operating valves 58, 59 and 60 are so designed that in one position compressed air from the valve 42 is delivered to the pipe lines 33, 34 and 35, whereas in another position these lines are brought in direct communication with the external air at the points 53, 54 and 55.

I claim as my invention:

1. A high tension compressed air circuit breaker comprising a central column of insulating cylinders, joining members between said insulating cylinders, a compressed air container, a pipeline between said air container and said insulating cylinder column, an extinguishing valve in said pipeline, extinguishin air chambers comprising movable contacts and stationary contacts laterally and dismountably secured to said column, hollow connecting members connecting the interior of said extinguishing chamhere with the interior of said insulating column, contact operating-cylinders in said extinguishing air chambers, contact operating pistons in said cylinders, a contact operating air pipeline in said column, pipes joining said operating cylinders with said operating air pipeline, and a contact operating air valve in said operating air pipeline,

2. A high tension compressed air circuit breaker comprisin a central column of insulating cylinders, joining members between said insulating cylinders, a compressed air containena pipeline between said air container and said insulating cylinder column, an extinguishing valve in said pipeline, extinguishing chambers comprising movable contacts and stationary contacts laterally and dismountably secured to said column, hollow connecting members connecting the interior of said extinguishing chambers with the interior of said insulating column, contact Number actuated by said shaft, and pipes joining the interior of said contact operating cylinders with the "interior of said column through said operating air valves.

HAAKON FORWALD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date 1,904,577 Uebermuth Apr. 18, 1933 2,291,263 Thommen July 28, 1942 2,453,555 Thommen Nov. 9, 1948 

